Unless you’re a Memphis Tiger fan, I doubt it. Henderson-Niles was a three-star local recruit that played — quite sparingly — for the Tigers under John Calipari for three seasons before Josh Pastner took over the program. Henderson-Niles played for less than a full season with Pastner running the show, leaving the team with eight games left in the regular season.

Henderson-Niles averaged 5.2 points as a senior and 2.4 points in his final season being coached by Cal. If it wasn’t for the fact that he slapped a UAB fan, a memorable image that was caught on camera, when Memphis was still a member of Conference USA, his tenure with Memphis would have been totally forgettable.

Here’s the background: Saine became Henderson-Niles’ guardian when the young boy’s mother, Saine’s sister, was unable to care for him. Saine did time for selling drugs but has since been released from prison and claims to have turned his life around. He’s become a pastor and has written an autobiography that he is claiming to be shopping around to publishers.

I’ll be honest: I’m cynical enough about college sports to fully believe that even a player of Henderson-Niles’ ability got paid to stay and play for his hometown school, and, quite frankly, it has nothing to do with the fact that John Calipari was his coach. That’s just the way that it works at that level. But keep in mind that these accusations are coming from an uncle of the player that is a convicted drug dealer currently trying to sell a book, and that both Josh Pastner and Henderson-Niles himself have denied the claims.

I’ve reached out to both Kentucky and Memphis for comment. I’ll update when I hear back.

So John Calipari, the man that gets basically whatever 5 star recruit he wants, paid a 3 star future scrub to warm the bench at Memphis? And bc he was a hometown kid? Wow, I wonder how much Jarrod Polson, John Hood, Derek Willis and Dominique Hawkins got paid by Cal to ride the bench last season??? If this was about Rose, Wall, Cousins, Davis, MKG, Randle, Harrison’s, Young, Bledsoe, Miller, Patterson, Lamb, Jones, Teague, Knight or any of those players, it would at least hold weight. Not saying it would automatically be true, but at least it would be believable….. Ex-con still trying to make a buck.

@bbngr8; I somewhat agree with your total post. However, there is an intrigue by these young men that realize that if they go to KY they will most likely be a One and Done player with a good chance for the NBA draft. I find there are always those opposing coaches, teams, and fans that cannot stand when Calipari experiences such success year over year. So far there has been no dirt found by all the accusers of the coaches conduct or recruiting. The fact that an ex-con and a newly ordained Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton wannabe is making these accusations is totally absurd. My 2 cents worth.